Party Plan: Wear Red Day Office Party

National Wear Red Day for Women® is a huge national public awareness day the first Friday each February urging women from all walks of life to “go red” to bring attention to the leading killers of women–heart disease and strike. This year, on February 3, consider hosting a Wear Red Day office party with your co-workers, so you all can be educated about how to avoid a disease that claims the lives of nearly 500,000 American women a year.

Go online to learn more about Wear Red Day and about heart health. Join the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the Office on Women’s Health (OWH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), American Heart Association and many other groups to promote National Wear Red Day in your local community. Click here for the Wear Red toolkit. You will find ideas for your party, health facts and much more.

Ask your office administrator if you could sponsor this party for the office and what time would be best. You might have the party before work hours–a breakfast or brunch would work well. A lunch-time party might be a better option for your company, or a just-after-work party may be the way to go. A generous employer may cooperate and allow a long coffee break for your gathering.

To make this gathering seem more special, you can make cute invitations easily by checking Valentine’s Day merchandise in your local discount stores or party suppliers. Ask your co-workers to wear red–this color was chosen for this national campaign because it is the color of our hearts as well s it stands out and is a confidence booster for those wearing it. To signify the fight against the number-one killer in women, red is a perfect choice to empower women to make better health choices.

Find an area in your office in which you can have your party. A few simple decorations will make this seem more special, and you can find lots of “heart” decorations in the Valentine’s Day merchandise already in your local stores.

For your guests’ enjoyment, light refreshments are appropriate .Plates, napkins, cups and flatware are easy to find in red or with heart designs.

You can serve one or two traditional sweet dishes, but since better eating is an important way to care for your heart, try to serve red treats that are more healthy.

Once you get your party area and food table set up, you are almost ready to go. A musical playlist of songs with “heart” would not be difficult to assemble using the Internet for your research and the music would add to the party atmosphere. Another great way to get your guests in the mood is to take photos-a group photo of everyone in their red and individual ones, each guest perhaps holding up a giant heart.

You may want to have a table with educational handouts with heart health information, a computer video presentation, medical workers to give health information or speakers to give personal testimonies. You may also want to start an office walking group, an exercise class, a stop-smoking or weight-loss challenge–use this gathering to explain your ideas and sign up co-workers to help you establish such groups.

An Wear Red Day office party is a great way for you and your co-workers to start on a journey to better heart health and to have fun at the same time. Enjoy!